A CHRONICLE photographer has been hailed a hero after he pulled a Crewe woman from a burning car just seconds before it blew up.

Vic Cleveley, 62, rescued bodybuilder Lorraine Mountford-Porter, 35, after she lost control of her car when she drove over spilt diesel.

It crashed into an HGV lorry and burst into flames on the A533 between Northwich and Winsford on Friday morning.

Vic was driving between picture jobs for the Chronicle when he arrived at the scene.

He said: 'The passenger side was crushed, the bonnet was squashed, and the engine was on fire. I didn't realise there was anybody in the car, but I went round and saw her sitting there. The door was open but she still had her seatbelt on and she was trapped.

'I shouted to some people at the scene to give me a hand to try to get her out, but some of them said to wait until paramedics arrived. But the way the fire was taking hold, I knew we couldn't wait.

'Two men came over and one undid her seatbelt. The dashboard had come down and the pedals were on her feet. I ripped out the dashboard but the clutch and the brakewerestill pushingonherfeet. I managed to get her right foot and pull it out of the car, but her left shoe was trapped.

'I turned the heel round to give her abitofspace butwecouldn'tlift her out. Her left arm was stuck by the handbrake and the flames were coming into the car.

'I knew we had to get her out so I just yanked her out. There was blood everywhere but if we hadn't done that she would have died.'

Lorraine, from Herbert Street in Crewe, was taken to Leighton Hospital for treatment to her arm, and for smoke inhalation and shock.

The Chronicle reunited the pair yesterday and she told him: 'Thank you for saving my life.'

Lorraine, who used to own Layne's Gym in West Street, Crewe, and now helps to runs Gray's Gym on Nantwich Road, with her husband Graham, 56, said she was drivingto Northwichtogoshopping when the accident happened.

She said: 'I remember going round a roundabout and carrying on for about 100 yards when the car started to feel like it was on ice. Before I knew it there was this lorry coming toward me.

'I don't remember anything else until I was in the back of the ambulance. I am so grateful for what Vic has done.

'I just want to give him a big hug. I hate to think what would have happened if he wasn't there.'